Arrested former Deputy Head of the Georgia State Security Service, Soso Gogashvili, said Thursday that “FSB spies are trying to replace Patriarch Ilia II with a desirable figure”. 

Gogashvili, who said he was a “political prisoner”, stated in his letter yesterday that he had tried to prevent this from happening while in office. 

He also suggested that the Patriarch had plans to resign on October 14, 2021, prior to municipal elections. However, noting that “the timing was not in the government’s interests”. 

Gogashvili was denied bail on July 18 of this year, stating during the trial hearing that “he was arrested as he exposed Russian spies who were trying to overthrow the Patriarch”.

The former security official, who held the post between 2015 and 2018 under the Georgian Dream authorities, was charged with abuse of authority, illegally obtaining, storing, distributing personal data and illegal purchase and storage of firearms and ammunition.

The following trial in the case was scheduled on September 8.